Weekly Round-Up (2)

Yes, another one. I am a little behind, so expect quite a few new posts over the next week or so.

1. Arch Pumps. Starring: Lee Majors Pitch: "Instant custom arch support." Prediction: Unlikely to succeed. Comments: Not even the Bionic Man can make an insole work on DRTV. Sorry, Lee. Still a big fan! [a]
    
2. Bubby My Buddy. Pitch: "Air-inflated plush toys ... from 2 feet high up to 7-foot tall giraffe." Prediction: Unlikely to succeed. Comments: This one is kinda the opposite of a small, huggable pillow you can sleep with. Otherwise, I like the visual appeal but think the timing is off. Everyone and their mother (almost literally) is out with a plush these days. [a]
    
3. Get Me Out Pillow. Pitch: "Not just a pillow but a cozy friend awaits you who is saying 'Get Me Out.'" Prediction: Bomb. Comments: Speaking of plush overload ... and this one is third to market with a me-too product. [a]
    
4. Gourme Mist. Pitch: "The five-calorie flavor and cooking spray." Comments: So wrong for DRTV, I don't know where to begin. [a]
    
5. Pushy Pops. Pitch: "The amazing new push-up snack pop." Prediction: On the fence. Comments: We are also approaching 'baking overload' in DR right now. But I haven't seen enough consistent success to justify the activity. If there is a category here, it's clear no one understands it yet because these items are all over the place in terms of USP, and most are short on a solid problem/solution. [a]
    
6. ShockWave. Brand: Gold's Gym. Pitch: "Bigger, heavier and stronger for amplifying muscle contractions." Prediction: Bomb. Comments: "Late" isn't the word for what this me-too product is to market. We'd have to go back in time for this to have a shot against Shake Weight. [a]
    
7. Stay Gate. Marketer: IHS. Pitch: "Keep your pet safe and sound." Prediction: On the fence. Comments: I like the product and the commercial is professionally done, but I don't know enough about newcomer IHS to understand what they are trying to accomplish. If it's truly an online mall model, as the site indicates, color me dubious. [a]
    
8. Ultra Sorter. Pitch: "Accurate rolls every time." Prediction: Bomb. Comments: If only we had that time machine I mentioned earlier ... [a]
    

Weekly Round-Up

I am making one change to this feature: I am going to start making predictions. My last True Top 50 update had far too many "did not review" items in the score-keeping section. Not making a call during these round-ups was one reason why.

1. Easy Sheets. Pitch: "Making your bed has never been easier." Prediction: Bomb. Comments: Amateur hour. It fails almost all of my criteria. [a]
    
2. Perfect Tweeze. Pitch: "Optimal lighting every time." Prediction: Unlikely to succeed. Comments: Been there, done that. We called ours Luma Tweeze. The experience taught me that women are very loyal to that one brand of tweezer they love and won't replace it easily, even if presented with an added benefit like a light. [a]
    
3. Plant Sorb. Pitch: "Never worry about water damage from your house plants or Christmas tree again." Prediction: Unlikely to succeed. Comments: This is sort of like a ShamWow! specifically for plants. Not a bad idea, in general, but way too narrow for DRTV. [a]
    
4. Pouch Painter. Pitch: "The no-spill painting solution." Prediction: Bomb. Comments: It's very difficult to have a hit in this category. The solution has to solve a painful problem in a "wow" way. This product addresses a mild nuisance and does it in a generic way. [a]
    
5. Tread Ahead. Pitch: "Never get stuck again." Prediction: Bomb. Comments: I'll say it again -- preparedness is the opposite of impulsiveness. Any pitch that boils down to -- 'You have to act now to be prepared for a possible future problem!' -- is doomed from the start. Plus, this solution is geographically limited and highly seasonal. [a]
    

Summer True Top 50

Since the warm weather is clearly over here in the Northeast (today there is snow on the ground), it's time to take a look back at the true hits from the summer season. The results are in. Here are the True Top 50 ...



First, my standard disclaimer: This listing is based on our unique methodology, which you can always read more about here.

Second, here's an update on my track record. With regard to new items only, my track record is 3-4-9. I got three wrong (two are questionable), four right and nine didn't count for one reason or another.

Ones I got wrong: Sift & Toss, Snap-On Feathers and Slim Away. I think the first two are questionable because the commercials and/or strategies changed before the campaign rolled out. When I reviewed Snap-On Feathers, for example, the commercial did not star Carishma or feature a pitch to download her single. Meanwhile Sift & Toss has gone through several revamps since I reviewed it. But in both cases, I wasn't hot on the core concept, so I'll take my licks. I guess retail sales will be the ultimate judge of my degree of wrongness.

Ones I got right: Perfect Meatloaf, Slice-O-Matic, Shed Pal and Half Time Drill Driver. Three out of four are Schwartz Group productions. More on that later.

I did not review Pivotrim, Thundershirt or Ab Roller Evolution simply because I missed them until it was too late. Meanwhile, I intentionally did not review Eggies or MyZone Headphones because I was too close to them to make any comment. Although I made brief remarks about Magic Mesh, I probably should have skipped that one for the same reason, since I wrote the commercial. As for Flex Seal, Miracle Socks and Plaque Blast, my comments were brief and rode the fence, so I didn't count them either way.

Next, I am announcing that Allstar Products is my True Top Marketer for the summer of 2011, re-taking the top spot with eight hits total, four of them new and four in the top 10. Telebrands is a close second with nine hits total, six of them new. But they only had one in the top 10 (an old hit at that). Allstar also had a total of five hits in the top 25 to Telebrands' four, so I gave the edge to Allstar. IdeaVillage and Media Enterprises tie for third with three hits each, none of them new.

Finally, I am declaring The Schwartz Group my new True Top Producer. Not because of the total number of hits they produced (they have only three to Hutton-Miller's six), but because all three are new to the True Top 50. Perfect Meatloaf is also the highest-ranked new hit (at No. 3) from a producer with more than one appearance on the charts.

I admit this methodology is a bit selective. Looking at the sheer number of hits, old or new, Hutton-Miller would tie Blue Moon Studios for No. 1 with six hits each, and The Schwartz Group would tie Concepts TV for No. 2 with three hits each. But I like to look at new hits, and when it comes to those, The Schwartz Group has clearly emerged as No. 1. They have one new hit in the top 10, two new hits in the top 25 and three new hits in the Top 50.

This is the first time The Schwartz Group has been No. 1, so congratulations to them!

SciMark Report from October Response

My SciMark Report for October is now available on the Response Website. Reviews include: Turbo Pak and Phantom Saucer. [a]

Tug Toner

First there was the Shake Weight ...
Then came Free Flexor ...
And now, the Tug Toner (HT: Dean I.).